Haunted
by Nanaki Lioness
Summary: Slightly AU. Sasuke is haunted by his past, Itachi, and that cold, syrupy blood that he just can't stop remembering. But, things aren't always what they seem...
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The characters, items, places etc of Naruto are property of Masashi Kishimoto. These objects are used without permission for entertainment only, not for making money. No infringement is intended.

_AU- the events of the actual anime haven't happened, but the character's pasts have. Also worth noting is that Sasuke isn't hell bent on revenge about Itachi- rather, he's scared of him._

_I'm finally trying my hand at some Naruto fiction that isn't only a couple of pages long! Here's hoping it comes out well, and if I'm happy with it, I'll write it more often xD_

_I guess I've slightly westernized Konaha, purely because I found it difficult to not-incorporate some values I'm so used to being able to use in fiction. Also, as usual with me, **angst, occasional swearing, and mild violence** warnings. Proceed with caution if any of the above offends you._

**Haunted  
Chapter 1**  
by Nanaki Lioness

"_Why?!"_

"_To see what I was capable of."_

"_That's all…? That's the only reason?"_

_He stood- he didn't remember how he got his body to move from the wooden floor, but he somehow managed it. He charged at the figure before him, fist raised, adrenaline guiding him._

_He was knocked down easily, and didn't have the willpower to get up again. He felt blood beneath his knees and hands, sticky to touch and strangely cold. He choked, bringing his head up to try and meet the gaze of his murderous brother, and instead making contact with his father's cold, dead eyes._

_ .  
_

Sasuke awoke, sitting bolt upright with a gasp. It took him a moment to gather his thoughts, wiping away the sweat that had beaded on his forehead in his sleep.

_That nightmare again._

It was always _that_ nightmare, where his mind forced him to re-live the murder of his entire clan. It was frequent, and he had grown used to it, but that didn't make it any easier. He rarely got a decent night's sleep these days.

Throwing the covers back, Sasuke sighed as he felt them dampened from sweat. Scowling, he stripped them instead, knowing that no matter how hard he tried, he wouldn't sleep again tonight.

He picked up his clock from the table next to him, and walked to the window. Drawing back the curtains, he looked at the display under the moonlight.

_Four am. I suppose that isn't too bad._

Replacing the clock, he opened the bedroom door and stepped out into the living room. He looked around once purely from force of habit, taking in the room in the dim lighting filtering through the curtains.

_Shower and breakfast._ _I should be out and training before five._

He walked across the living room to the bathroom, pushing the door open and feeling around for the light switch. Before he could flick it on, however, he spotted something at the window.

_It can't be…_

Eyes stared at him through the window.

Sasuke dropped his hand from the light switch to his weapon pouch, pulling out a kunai slowly. He ducked around the doorway, glancing around it to keep the eyes in sight.

They were still there, not moving or blinking- just staring. Sasuke lowered the kunai slightly, his mind cycling various possibilities as to why the person would be there and whether he should ambush them.

The eyes blinked, snapping Sasuke's attention back. And changed.

_No!_

The Mangekyou Sharingan stared back at him.

Panic overtook Sasuke for a moment, and he threw his kunai at the eyes, unsure whether that was such a great idea. Fear had enveloped his voice of reason on the matter and he'd done it before he had the chance to think it through.

The window shattered, showering the room with glass. Sasuke shielded himself with his arms, closing his eyes for a moment as the glass settled.

When he opened them moments later, the eyes were gone.

Realising he had made a convenient entry point for the intruder, who he knew could only be one person, he grabbed the key from the lock on the inside, slammed the door, and locked it on the outside.

Throwing the key across the room, he turned and fled. He stopped by his front door momentarily to grab his shoes, attempting to run and put them on. Once he succeeded, he ran from the house as fast as he could, not caring which direction as long as it was _away_.

_What's he doing here again?!_

He ran swiftly across the rooftops, not daring to look behind him in case he was being pursued. He carried on that way until he reached the border of the village, before chancing a look behind.

It was clear. He sighed and sank to the floor by the fence he was standing by, trying to straighten his thoughts out about what had just happened.

_What does he want with me after all this time…?_

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke looked up at the owner of the voice, eyes wide with shock at being spoken to, his hand already heading to his weapon pouch. He stopped when he laid eyes on the speaker, and stood.

"Kakashi."

Kakashi rose his exposed eyebrow at him.

"It's barely four thirty, and you look exhausted. Have you been training all night?"

Unsure how to answer, Sasuke chose not to.

"I admire your enthusiasm, but you should get some sleep. Go home, Sasuke."

_Home?_ _No way._

"I'm fine," he said smoothly, hoping his disheveled appearance didn't expose his lie too much.

Kakashi didn't say any more on the matter, walking past him without another word. He felt his sensei's eyes on his back as he turned and started to walk the other way.

"Don't push yourself too hard, Sasuke."

Sasuke stopped.

"I never know when I'll need to defend myself."

Silence for a moment. Sasuke almost started walking again, but Kakashi spoke again.

"You won't need to do that any time soon. Go home and get some rest."

Sasuke took in what he said, eyes widening.

_He's telling me not to train and to go home?_

_Did he…?_

He pulled a kunai from his weapon pouch, throwing it at Kakashi's back. Kakashi deflected it easily, turning around to face Sasuke.

"I can't train with you right now, Sasuke," he said levelly.

"I don't want to train with you!" Sasuke growled at his sensei. "You're in on this, aren't you? Telling me to go home, telling me not to worry about defending myself!"

Kakashi looked at him blankly before sighing.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Go to sleep, Sasuke."

Kakashi vanished, leaving Sasuke to stare at the ground he had been standing on.

_ .  
_

Later that morning, Sasuke still hadn't returned home. Kakashi frowned as he looked at the broken window before him, having walked around the side of the building when he received no answer from knocking at the door.

"Kakashi- sensei!"

Kakashi turned to acknowledge Naruto, who was running up to him.

"Morning, Naruto."

Naruto opened his mouth to reply, but whatever he was going to say was lost when he noticed the broken window.

"You broke Sasuke's window?" He asked, confused.

"No. It was broken when I got here."

Naruto frowned.

"Is he home?"

"If he was, I wouldn't be standing outside, would I?"

Naruto frowned harder.

"I saw him early this morning, and he didn't mention it then," Kakashi continued. "It seemed he'd been out training all night. I instructed him to go home, but apparently he didn't listen."

"Who would break Sasuke's window?" Naruto asked rhetorically, before shooting off to look for his friend.

He didn't have to look far. As he jumped to the rooftop opposite Sasuke's house, he realized Sasuke was sitting on it observing Kakashi in the street.

"Sasuke!" Naruto said, walking over to where the dark haired boy was sitting. "Kakashi's looking for you, why don't you go down and talk to him?"

Sasuke didn't reply, not even looking up to Naruto. Naruto sat down next to him.

"Sasuke, you look tired. Kakashi-sensei said-"

"I don't care what Kakashi said," Sasuke interrupted sharply.

Naruto laughed and stood up.

"Kakashi-sensei!" He yelled, waving his arms. "Kakash-"

"Idiot!" Sasuke hissed, standing and throwing a punch at Naruto. Naruto dodged, looking at Sasuke strangely.

Kakashi appeared next to them, having heard Naruto's shout. He grabbed Sasuke as he swung at Naruto again.

"I don't know what happened here," Kakashi said, his voice stern. "But I think it's about time you got that rest I mentioned earlier, Sasuke."

He freed his grip on the boy, who looked less than pleased with the situation before him.

"Naruto, board that window and make sure he gets some rest."

"I'll be-"

"That's an order," Kakashi interrupted Sasuke, before vanishing.

Naruto eyed Sasuke wearily, before shrugging and indicating down to the house.

"Did you know that was broken?" He asked.

Sasuke didn't reply, jumping off the roof. Naruto followed, heading to the window. Glass crunched beneath his feet, but he noted there wasn't that much of it on the outside. He peered inside the gap, seeing the kunai on the floor surrounded by the rest of the glass.

"There's a kunai on the floor," he told Sasuke, who was standing next to him.

"I know."

Naruto turned to him. "You knew it was broken, then. Is that why you didn't go back inside? Did you see who did it?"

Sasuke sighed, and walked around the building to the front door. Naruto accepted that as a yes, following him.

"I can't imagine why anyone would want to break into your house," he said, thinking out loud more than talking to Sasuke.

"Be quiet," Sasuke snapped, opening the front door and slamming it in Naruto's face behind him. Unfazed, Naruto opened it again and entered. He walked up to the bathroom door and tugged on it to open it, frowning when it failed to open.

"Is anything missing?" He asked Sasuke, who was on his knees looking underneath a chair.

"I said be quiet."

Naruto pulled on the door again, visibly annoyed that it wouldn't open. "How do you open this damn thing, its stuck fast!"

"With the key," Sasuke replied from his side, pushing him away and unlocking the door with the key he'd retrieved.

Naruto stared at him as he entered the room, picking up the kunai amidst the glass and putting it back in his weapon pouch.

"_You_ broke the window?!" Naruto realized as Sasuke stalked out past him without a word. "Why?"

"Didn't you have an order to fix the window?" Sasuke responded, sitting down at the table and not looking over at Naruto.

Naruto scowled at him. "Fix your own damn window!"

Sasuke responded by laying his arms on the table and putting his head in them.

"You should get-"

"Yes, some sleep, I know," Sasuke answered, pulling his head up just a little.

"That won't be too comfortable there, you know."

When he didn't get a reply, Naruto walked over to the table and sat down opposite him.

"You're not acting yourself, Sasuke," he admonished. "Why did you break the window, and why were you out all night?"

"I wasn't out all night," Sasuke said quietly.

"Eh? Kakashi-sensei said you had been."

"Kakashi jumped to conclusions."

They sat in silence for a few moments, Sasuke not bringing his head out of his arms. Naruto poked him on the arm.

"So, why _did_ you break the window, Sasuke?"

Sasuke hesitated before answering, but knew Naruto wouldn't take no for an answer- he was too mentally drained to try and deal with that. "Because I thought I saw someone there."

"Who?"

"Just someone. It was early, I'd only just woken up, I panicked a little and threw the kunai without thinking about it."

He stood up, indicating that was as far as he was taking the conversation.

"I need to go and get some wood and nails," Naruto said, standing with him. "Will you go to bed?"

"I need a shower," Sasuke replied. "I can hardly do that with a broken window next to my shower cubicle."

"Well, at least go and lay down if you won't sleep. Unless you're worried about that person coming back?"

No response.

"Heh, Sasuke, you don't have to be scared, I'll be back soon!"

"I'm not scared!" Sasuke snapped back, glaring evilly at Naruto- even if it was a correct statement.

"Sure, sure, whatever you say," Naruto said, waving his hand at him to indicate he needn't lie about how he felt. "They won't come by in daylight, Sasuke."

He left without another word, leaving Sasuke alone.

Sasuke stared at his friend's retreating back, before entering the bathroom to clean up the glass. He opened a cupboard under the sink, pulling out a dustpan and brush. Careful to avoid kneeling on the glass, he knelt on the floor and started sweeping it up. It had broken quite cleanly, so it didn't take him long to gather all the pieces.

He put the pan into the sink when he was done, figuring he'd wrap it safely later to dispose of it. He cast another glance at the broken pane of glass, sighing.

_I really need to learn to be more rational._

He walked back into the living room, doing his usual glance around. He stopped on his front door, which Naruto had left slightly ajar.

Peaking around the doorframe was another pair of eyes.

"What do you want?!" Sasuke yelled out, grabbing a kunai and guarding himself with it. The eyes didn't move, and the owner of them didn't reply.

_Move!_

Sasuke willed himself to walk forward, and to confront the person spying on him, but he couldn't. Fear rooted him to the spot, and he couldn't shake himself out of it. Had it been any other person, he would have ambushed them already.

_But not him… Not Itachi…_

"What do you want with me?!" He repeated, inwardly cursing his voice for betraying his fear.

Still no reply. The eyes blinked once.

"Stop messing with me you bastard!"

The eyes vanished. Sasuke froze, mentally willing his arm to do as he instructed and throw the kunai he was holding in the direction of the intruder. But it wouldn't.

"_Run. Run, and cling to life."_

_He stared at his brother, tears clouding his eyes- he couldn't see past them, could feel their salty taste on his lips, but he knew he had to run or he would meet the same fate as everybody around him._

_He found his common sense, pulled it out from the corner it was hiding itself in, and ran as far away as he could._

Sasuke closed his eyes, shaking his head at the memory. Even some years on, the fear he felt from that day hadn't changed, and it was taking all his strength to not run like he had earlier that morning.

_No! Open your eyes!_

He did so, keeping his eyes fixed on the door. Itachi's eyes didn't reappear again.

_Did he somehow come in?!_

He turned around sharply. The room behind him was empty. Sprinting to the front door, he slammed it shut without looking outside.

He ran to the bedroom, flinging the door open to find that empty too. Gradually panicking, he found each room and cupboard in the house empty.

_I should be happy he's not here, but if I can't see him, I don't know where he is…_

He ended up back in the living room, panting slightly from his haste at ripping his entire house apart. He willed himself to relax slightly.

_He's not here. He's gone again. Calm down…_

There was a knock at the front door.

"Get away!" Sasuke screeched, running to the door and bolting it quickly. He heard someone call his name, but ignored it, turning and looking around for something to barricade the door with.

His keen ears picked up the sound of crunching glass, realising someone was outside the broken window.

"No!" He shouted hoarsely, but once again fear kept him from entering the room.

"Sasuke?"

_Naruto!_

Naruto entered the room from the bathroom, looking confused.

"Why didn't you open the door, Sasuke?"

Sasuke sunk to his knees, dropping the kunai he was holding as he did so.

"I'm lucky I didn't cut myself on the glass!" Naruto carried on complaining. "And why did you shout at me?"

He trailed off as he noticed Sasuke was trembling. Confused, he took a few steps towards him.

"Did the person come back whilst I was gone?"

Sasuke didn't reply. Naruto knelt down in front of him, concerned.

"Eh, Sasuke?"

Sasuke was still trembling, slowly shaking his head. His eyes were tightly closed, tears collected within them.

Naruto frowned.

"Who was it, Sasuke?"

Silence.

"Sasuke!" Naruto grabbed his friend's shoulders and shook him.

Sasuke looked up at him, eyes wide and fearful.

"I-Itachi."

Naruto let go of Sasuke's shoulders in surprise. He stood swiftly.

"We need to tell Tsunade-sama if he's in the village."

"No!"

"At least tell Kakashi-sensei!"

"_No_!"

Sasuke stood shakily, almost falling as he did. Naruto grabbed his arm to steady him.

"Go and rest, I left the wood by the window outside. It won't take me long to fix it up."

Sasuke stared at the closed bedroom door. Naruto sensed his concern, and stalked over to the door. Throwing it open, he scanned the window quickly for any signs of Itachi.

"It's fine," he called.

_What if he's lying?_

Sasuke chose not to believe his words, and seated himself at the table nearby. Naruto growled slightly.

"Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei ordered you to rest, and me to fix the window. Now go rest so I can do this!"

No reply, again. Naruto restrained himself from smacking the dark haired boy, and left- via the broken window again- to fix it.

Sasuke sat listening to the sound of nails being hammered into the window pane, concentrating on the sound as some form of cold comfort.

_I need to face him and stop being frightened of him, I can't go on running forever._

_**But you're too weak to fight him, Sasuke- chan.**_

Sasuke sat bolt upright at the voice he had heard. He looked around, but the room was empty.

_No-one could answer your thoughts anyway, idiot._

_**Are you sure?**_

He didn't recognize the voice speaking. It wasn't anybody he knew, just a voice, answering him when he thought.

_This whole thing is driving me crazy. I probably should get some sleep…_

He stood, walking to the bathroom to see how Naruto was doing with the window. As he was about to place his hand on the door handle, he recoiled quickly.

_Blood?!_

He blinked and it was gone. Blinking a few more times, to make sure the blood he had seen on the handle definitely wasn't there, he entered the room.

_When was the last time I got a decent night's sleep? I actually don't remember._

Naruto was on the outside of the window, it seemed.

"Naruto?" He shouted.

Naruto's face appeared at the second, unbroken window in front of Sasuke, grinning.

"I just finished," he shouted back. "Let me in!"

Sasuke obliged, waiting for Naruto to knock and confirm it was him before opening the door to him.

"There, now go take your shower and sleep," Naruto said, his tone leaving no room to question.

"Hm."

Naruto, despite making it clear Sasuke wasn't to defy his words, was surprised when he didn't. He simply entered the bathroom and shut the door quietly.

Turning the shower on and leaving it for a moment to regulate its temperature, Sasuke stared at the mirror over the sink. The pan of glass was still there, but he could deal with that later.

_Hopefully I can sleep without the nightmares…_

_**Unlikely, Sasuke-chan.**_

Sasuke ignored the voice, turning away from the mirror and stripping his clothes.

_Hot shower and about two days of sleep should fix this…_

_ .  
_

"_Again?"_

"_I'm sorry, Sasuke-chan."_

_Sasuke scowled. "No you're not."_

_Itachi smiled softly at him._

"_I can give you five minutes, but then I need to practice."_

_Sasuke's face brightened, and he grabbed the strap of his schoolbag on his shoulder, pulling it off and dropping it to the floor. He sat, cross-legged, looking up at Itachi expectantly._

_Itachi sat opposite to him, looking distant._

"_What's the matter, nii-san?"_

_Itachi shook his head, and ignored the question._

"_What did you want help with?" He said, changing the subject. "Math again?"_

_Itachi pulled the younger boy's yellow schoolbag to him, looking through it. Sasuke watched, deciding not to ask his question again- but mostly because he was running out of excuses for incomplete math homework._

"_There's no math book in here, Sasuke-chan."_

_Sasuke held out his hand for the bag, confused. "Let me look, I'm sure I put it in there."_

_Itachi grinned wickedly, dropping the bag and brandishing a small blade he'd taken from it. He pointed it at Sasuke._

_Sasuke stared at him, eyes wide with fear. He tried to stand, but shock and horror rooted him and kept him on his knees._

"_Nii-san?"_

_Itachi grinned wider, and beckoned to Sasuke._

"_You should try to find mother and father, Sasuke-chan. Have you seen them today?"_

_Sasuke screamed. He tried to stand again, but pure terror still kept him in place. Shaking, he closed his eyes tightly and covered his ears._

"_Stop it, nii-san! _Stop it_!"_

_When he opened his eyes what felt like hours later, he was kneeling on the cold, wooden floor in _that _room, and the bodies of his parents lay before him. He was kneeling in water, he could feel- icy, sticky water drowning his knees._

_Sticky?_

_Was it really water…?_

_He gasped, falling backwards and wiping his knees. Red smeared his hands, and he realized it was the blood of his parents._

_His _parents_, that Itachi had killed._

_Itachi, his brother, had killed._

"_No! NO!"_

_ .  
_

"NO!"

Sasuke awoke screaming and gasping for air. Heart racing and bed sheets sticky, he sat up and placed a hand on his heart, trying to calm his breathing. He kicked the sheets to the end of the bed, noticing it was light outside as he did so.

_When did I go to sleep?_

His pillow was damp and so was his hair, he realized, so he stripped the pillow case and threw it to the end of the bed with the sheets.

_I had a shower and went to bed. When?_

He looked over at his clock, that read four pm.

_Not long ago, apparently._

He shook his head to clear the remainder of the nightmare he'd had, and swung his legs off the edge of the bed. Four pm was still afternoon, and that meant he had time for the training that he hadn't had the chance to do that day, yet.

_ .  
_

_Author's Note: I told myself I wouldn't do another chaptered fic because I like standalones much more. But this threatened to be long, so I decided, why the heck not? XD Review if you feel like it- if not, I only hope you enjoyed it._


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: The characters, items, places etc of Naruto are property of Masashi Kishimoto. These objects are used without permission for entertainment only, not for making money. No infringement is intended.

_I'm not completely happy with this, it may end up with an edit later. All warnings from the first chapter still apply._

**Haunted**

**Chapter 2**

By Nanaki Lioness

Sasuke's usual training spot wasn't empty.

The dark haired boy sighed, an irked frown on his face as he watched the 'intruder'. The sun was beginning to set, and most other people would be on their way home by now. He pulled a kunai from his weapon pouch and threw it towards the person casually.

Naruto yelped as he heard the kunai approach, and jumped to a side to dodge it. Turning round and glaring at Sasuke, he pointed an accusing finger at him.

"I thought you were meant to be asleep!"

Sasuke shrugged. "I woke up."

"Well, you have a good spot here to practice," Naruto said, responding to Sasuke's unasked question.

"I don't care if I'm not here. Just be sure to move when I _get _here."

"I was going to eat anyway," Naruto muttered, picking himself up off the floor and dusting his clothes with his hands.

Sasuke walked towards him, retrieving his kunai from the floor.

"Why are you here, anyway? Kakashi-sensei told you to rest, you can train with him tomorrow instead of alone."

"I don't want to train with Kakashi."

Naruto frowned at Sasuke, scrutinizing him. Sasuke glared back at him.

"You're acting weird about Kakashi-sensei. Did something happen?"

"Stop asking questions I'm not going to answer, Naruto."

Naruto looked unimpressed, but shrugged and dropped the subject.

"I haven't told Tsunade-sama yet."

"And you'd better not," Sasuke threatened.

Naruto growled at him, frustrated.

"I don't know why you're being so difficult about this. This is serious, Sasuke."

"And I'll deal with it."

"Your window tells me otherwise."

Sasuke didn't reply.

"I don't think this is a secret I can keep. If something happens to you, or any of the villagers-"

"Drop it, Naruto," Sasuke snapped. "I won't ask again."

Naruto sighed.

"Fine… But if you see him again, and I find out, I'm going straight to Tsunade-sama."

_You won't find out because I won't be telling you._

-.-.-

Standing by his front door, kunai raised, ear pressed against the oak tightly- this was no way to live life, Sasuke realized. But it didn't stop him from doing it.

_There was something there. I know it._

Bracing himself, he swung the door open and jumped out of it. Raising his kunai, he glanced around frantically to locate the source of the noise.

A brown rat looked up at him, whiskers twitching rapidly in fear, before it scuttled off into a bush. It dodged the kunai Sasuke had thrown at it easily.

Sasuke visibly relaxed, leaning against the wall next to the door and sighing heavily.

_Get a grip, moron._

_...You missed it, too. That's depressing._

"Every time I see you, you confuse me more and more."

Sasuke looked up sharply.

"What are you doing here?" He snapped at Kakashi.

Kakashi stared at him impassively.

"It's been two days since I last saw you. You didn't show for training yesterday, or today. That's not like you. Are you sick?"

"No."

"Then I don't see why you aren't showing up," Kakashi said evenly, walking past Sasuke into his house without waiting for an invite.

Sasuke followed him inside slowly, realizing he wasn't going to get out of this easily.

_I don't trust you. Get out of my house._

Kakashi seated himself at the table and gestured to Sasuke to sit opposite. He was met with a raised eyebrow and a shake of the head.

"Naruto spoke to me."

Sasuke's eyes widened.

_That moron, I'll kill him._

"Don't be so fast to arrange his funeral, he didn't tell me what was wrong with you, just that_ something_ was wrong."

"And you came here expecting me to talk?" Sasuke asked.

"That was the idea."

"Then you may as well leave."

Kakashi sighed and stood, shrugging.

"I'm giving you three days to sort whatever this is out, and then I expect to see you back for training 5am sharp. Got it?"

Sasuke shrugged. Kakashi took that as a yes.

"Good. And Sasuke? Are you sure you're not sick? You look _terrible_."

"Thanks a lot." Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Go take a look in a mirror and tell me differently."

With that, Kakashi let himself out. Sasuke watched the door close behind him, and seated himself at the table. He laid his head in his arms, sighing.

_No sleep will do that to you, I suppose._

_How long has it been now…? Kakashi said two days. It's been that long?_

Sasuke hadn't slept. He had decided that he wasn't going to let Itachi surprise him anymore, and had figured the only way that was going to happen was if he didn't sleep.

It had been easy to begin with, on the first day. As the second day approached, it became harder. He became more paranoid. It had lead to the unfortunate scene with the rat Kakashi had witnessed- he'd been at that door for about two hours, listening, gathering his courage to confront the noise, and losing it again as he reached for the door handle.

**_What a pathetic state you are, Sasuke-chan._**

Sasuke shook his head clear of the voice, which had become more prominent in the last couple of days. His inner-voice was spiteful, he had learnt.

He could feel himself drifting, and he jerked his head out of his arms.

_Caffeine…_

He jumped up and started rummaging through his kitchen cupboard, his tired mind not registering that he didn't drink coffee or anything like it, and therefore would have nothing that met his criteria to stay awake.

_You'll have to sleep eventually._

He shook his head again, closing the cupboard he was looking through as his mind finally caught up with itself and realized he wouldn't have anything he needed.

_Eventually isn't now, though._

_And if he does turn up? What good are you right now? You can't even hit a rat._

He seated himself back at the table, laying his head back in his arms.

_No. Move your head._

He didn't.

_You have more willpower than that, idiot. Move._

He didn't.

_Maybe just five minutes…?_

-.-.-

"Failing yourself again, Sasuke?"

Sasuke sat bolt upright at that voice, waking from his half-sleep instantly. Fatigue kept him from leaping out the chair and running as he had done in the past, so he stayed where he was, eying Itachi with impassiveness only available to him through exhaustion. He was sitting opposite him, casually leaning back in the chair.

"What do you want with me?"

Itachi shrugged.

"Who said I want you?"

"You keep showing up here," Sasuke answered, rubbing his eyes and mentally marveling the calm in his voice.

"Can I not check in on my little brother?"

Sasuke glared at him.

"Drop the act, Itachi."

"Can't I be a murderer _and_ a caring big brother?" Itachi asked sarcastically.

"You gave up 'caring' when you murdered our entire family."

Itachi leaned across the table, cupping Sasuke's chin gently.

"I gave up caring, but not 'big brother'?"

Sasuke snapped his head back.

"Don't touch me."

"My, aren't we cold now? What happened to you, Sasuke-chan?"

"_Don't_ call me that."

"Oh, I see, you've 'grown up' now, right?"

Sasuke stood, pointing to the front door.

"Get out."

_How am I so calm? Every time to now, I've run, but this time…_

Itachi laughed.

"Sit down, Sasuke."

Sasuke found himself obeying.

"Ask yourself a question, little brother."

There was an edge to his voice that Sasuke couldn't recognize- and didn't _want_ to recognize.

"Mm?" He uttered, feeling fear starting to take hold, and stealing his voice along with it.

"How did I get in?"

And then he vanished, leaving Sasuke staring at the empty seat, confused.

_Was it a dream…? Did I fall asleep?_

He stood again, looking around, and seeing no-one. His front door was tightly closed. All his windows were bolted shut…

_How _did_ he get in?_

He stayed where he was, shaking his head and trying to clear the last of sleep fog.

_**Clarity is harder to come by now, right Sasuke-chan?**_

He jumped as he heard a sharp knocking at the front door, almost falling over in his panic.

"I don't want to talk to you anymore, Itachi!" He yelled.

He _did_ fall over as whoever was standing the other side of the door decided to knock the door down to gain entry. Naruto stood before him, looking thoroughly annoyed.

Sasuke picked himself up off the floor, trying to look dignified- and failing.

"I said if I found out you'd seen him one more time, I was going to go to Tsunade-sama, and I meant it."

"I-I didn't-"

"_Don't_ bullshit me, Sasuke. I heard you talking. I heard what you yelled at me just now."

"How long have you been out there?" Sasuke demanded, brushing his clothes down and trying to pretend he hadn't fallen.

"I came with Kakashi-sensei. I didn't tell him what was going on, just that I wanted to stand guard outside for a while."

"Ah."

"So I heard you. And now we're going to visit Tsunade-sama."

"_We_?"

"Yup. You're coming to, to explain yourself."

"Explain myself?"

Naruto sighed, frustrated. "Sasuke- _no-one was replying to you_."

Sasuke stared at him, speechless.

"But… That can't be true…!"

"Oh, it's true alright."

"I-I fell asleep, I guess. Sleep talking. Answering. Whatever."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at him.

"That's not all, Sasuke."

"…what?"

"I spoke to Ero-sennin. I asked him about Itachi. He told me something very interesting."

"Out with it," Sasuke snapped.

"He's dead."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: The characters, items, places etc of Naruto are property of Masashi Kishimoto. These objects are used without permission for entertainment only, not for making money. No infringement is intended.

**Haunted**

**Chapter 3**

By Nanaki Lioness

Sasuke stared at Naruto, mind racing, falling to his knees without even realizing.

"He's… dead?"

"He was killed about a year ago."

"Dead…?"

"You understand why we're _both_ going to visit Tsunade-sama now, Sasuke? She's a doctor. She can help you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sasuke asked, an edge to his voice as he realized what Naruto was implying.

"I mean you're crazy, you idiot."

Sasuke curled his fists in anger and tried to stand.

Only, he couldn't. He looked around, confused, eyes finally falling to the floor when all other options exhausted themselves. There was a long, thin shadow attached to his own, and that only meant one thing…

"Shikamaru," he said quietly.

Shikamaru stepped into the doorway, looking tired and fed up.

"Naruto dragged me along in case you were uncooperative," he sighed.

"Let me go," Sasuke ordered.

Shikamaru shook his head.

"I _said _let me go."

Shikamaru responded by starting to leave, leaving Sasuke no choice but to mimic him and follow.

Naruto collected the pieces of Sasuke's front door together sheepishly and followed them.

"Why _did_ you kick my door down?" Sasuke queried wearily.

"Because you wouldn't open it?"

"You barely gave me a chance."

"I didn't want you to run off again, anyway."

They walked along in silence for a while, Sasuke letting himself be led by Shikamaru's jutsu. He was _tired_.

_I wonder if Itachi's actually dead…_

_Why does that thought make me sad?_

"No-one told you Itachi was dead?" Naruto asked, as if reading his mind.

"No. I guess no-one wanted to bring it up with me."

"I guess."

"Did… Did Jiraiya tell you _how_ he died?"

Naruto shook his head. "No."

"Oh."

"You sound sad, Sasuke. I thought you wanted him dead?"

"I _did_. I _do_…"

_But he's still my big brother…_

-.-.-

Tsunade looked tired and angry, Sasuke noted uneasily, as she answered the door to Naruto's insistent knocking. Clad in a dressing gown and fluffy slippers, she certainly didn't look pleased with her late-night visitors.

"What is it, Naruto?" She snapped.

"Sasuke has something to tell you."

Tsunade glanced at Sasuke, who looked so tired and worn she thought he might fall over. Kakashi had warned her there was something going on, but that the boy wasn't talking.

"Come in, then."

She noticed Sasuke was being led by Shikamaru's jutsu, and frowned.

"Could Sasuke not walk here by himself to talk to me?"

"I wish," Shikamaru muttered, yawning.

"He wouldn't have come. We had to force him," Naruto explained.

Tsunade rolled her eyes.

"Tsunade-sama, it's true Itachi is dead, right?"

Tsunade eyes him suspiciously. "Who told you that?"

"Ero-sennin."

Tsunade glanced at Sasuke, then glared at Naruto.

"Yes, it's true."

Sasuke paled considerably.

"What is it, Sasuke?"

_**You're crazy, Sasuke-chan.**_

**_Crazy crazy _crazy_ crazy crazy-_**

"Shut up!" He snapped.

He realized his mistake as three pairs of eyes landed on him, looking confused.

"I know you insist on being rude to everyone else, but you will _not_ speak to _me_ like that," Tsunade snapped angrily, marching over to Sasuke. Shikamaru wisely broke the jutsu as Tsunade grabbed Sasuke by his shirt and lifted him easily.

"No!" Sasuke shook his head, struggling against Tsunade's iron grip. "I…"

"You _what_?"

"…I wasn't talking to you."

Tsunade dropped him to the floor easily, still looking unimpressed.

"'I wasn't talking to you, Hokage-sama'," she corrected, still disbelieving him.

Sasuke stared at her.

"It won't kill you to be polite," she said sharply, prompting him.

"I wasn't talking to you, Hokage-sama," Sasuke muttered, not meeting her gaze.

"So who were you speaking to, hmm?"

"…Myself."

"I… see. When was the last time you slept, Sasuke? You look tired."

She looked him up and down again as he picked himself up from the floor.

"Tired is an understatement, actually. A day? Two days? A week?"

"A couple of days, I guess."

"It shows. You look like hell. Why haven't you been sleeping?"

Sasuke glanced over at Shikamaru and Naruto, clearly uncomfortable with discussing his personal life with them around.

"I'm going, don't worry," Shikamaru yawned again, stretching. "Later."

He let himself out, figuring his work was done. If Sasuke was stupid enough to try and run from Tsunade, she'd soon put a stop to that.

"_I'm_ not going anywhere," Naruto said stubbornly, seating himself at Tsunade's table.

"Stubborn ass," Sasuke snapped at him.

"Says the guy who talks to himself."

Tsunade grabbed Sasuke's arm as he raised it and made to walk over to Naruto. Sasuke cried out, not expecting the strength of her grip.

"_Answer_ the _question_," Tsunade ground out through gritted teeth, her patience clearly being tried.

"I-I have nightmares," Sasuke answered quickly, holding his wrist and wincing as Tsunade let it go.

"Nightmares about your family, correct?"

"…Yes."

"So you stopped yourself sleeping to combat the nightmares, and as a result, you've started talking to yourself?"

"Kind of."

"_Kind of_?"

"I…"

He tailed off, unable to formulate 'I saw and spoke with a dead man' into a sentence that sounded anywhere near sane.

"Yes?"

"I saw Itachi. And spoke with him."

"Right. Are you sure you weren't dreaming? Maybe you fell asleep for a little?"

"I thought that."

"I heard you talking, Sasuke," Naruto interjected.

"Sleep talking?" Sasuke countered, but his sheepish look gave away to Tsunade that that was unlikely.

"So since you've been depriving yourself of sleep, you've been seeing and hearing things?"

Sasuke wanted to answer 'yes', but the glare Naruto was giving him made him think twice.

"…No. I saw him before."

"When? Before you started the sleep deprivation?"

"It was another reason I started. I wanted to make sure he didn't come whilst I was asleep."

"I'm going to guess you broke your window because you saw him there, then."

"You know about that?"

"Kakashi told me."

"Oh."

"Answer me."

"…Yes. That was the first time."

"Anything else you've seen or heard?"

Sasuke glanced at Naruto again. Naruto looked back.

"Do you _have _to stay there?" Sasuke snapped at him.

"Ignore him," Tsunade instructed.

Sasuke didn't protest any further.

"I saw blood on the handle of a door. And there's a voice in my head…"

"This is the voice you were telling to shut up, I presume?"

"Yes. It's… spiteful."

"Describe it to me."

"It calls me 'Sasuke-chan'… And it patronizes me all the time. It's not my voice, it's a voice I don't recognize."

"When did you first start hearing this voice?"

"The same day I saw Itachi."

"And the blood?"

"The same day."

"How were you sleeping then?"

"Like I usually do. I'd had about six hours or so before being woken by nightmares."

"But that's usual, yes?"

"Yes."

"Six hours isn't enough."

"It's what I usually get."

"That doesn't make it _enough_."

Tsunade sat at the table opposite Naruto, beckoning to Sasuke to join. He did so, reluctantly sitting next to Naruto.

"We're dealing with one of two things here, Sasuke. Either extreme sleep deprivation, or the early onset of schizophrenia."

Sasuke laid his head in his arms at that.

"No going to sleep yet!" Tsunade barked.

Sasuke pulled his head up slightly.

"I'm not going to."

"Then sit up."

Sasuke did so, looking frustrated and tired.

"How long did you say you'd been awake? Two days?"

"About that."

"Right. I'm going to run a little test, Sasuke. Naruto here is going to help."

"I am?"

"I'm going to keep you awake another two days."

Sasuke's blood ran cold.

"You what?"

"You heard me."

"_Why_?"

"I need to rule out sleep deprivation."

"Then why not let me sleep and see how I react when I'm rested? Surely if I… Well, you know… After sleep, you'll have ruled it out?"

"I need to take note of how you react without sleep, since I haven't witnessed it myself."

"I'm not going to be able to do that!"

"You're going to have to," Tsunade reasoned with a shrug. "You're going to stay here, and so is Naruto, and don't even _dare_ think about escaping."

The look Tsunade gave him showed she meant business, and Sasuke shook his head rapidly at her to indicate he wasn't going to try.

"For now, Naruto's going to keep you awake while I work on something that can keep you awake without anyone needing to intervene."

"A coffee IV?" Naruto snickered.

"You're enjoying this," Sasuke muttered. "You're sadistic."

"And you're an asshole. Of course I'm enjoying it."

Tsunade got up from the table, deep in thought and heading into a back room.

"Naruto, I'm trusting you," she called over her shoulder.

Sasuke glared at her back.

"I don't see how this is going to help," he muttered.

"Do you really want to see dead people and hear voices?" Naruto asked.

"Of course not!"

"Then go along with what she says, and she'll have an answer for you."

"And if she doesn't?"

Naruto grinned. "You underestimate Tsunade-sama."

-.-.-

_Can sleep deprivation really do this to a person?_

Sasuke stared into nothingness, occasionally batting Naruto's hand away from his face as he waved it there.

"I hope you're not trying to sleep on me, here."

"For the millionth time, I'm _not_. I'm just thinking."

"About what kind of crazy you are?"

Sasuke restrained himself from smacking the blond senseless.

"This isn't funny."

He laid his arms on the table, suppressing a yawn.

_**Oh dear, Sasuke-chan. I suppose I'll just have to keep your mind awake for you?**_

"Shut up."

"Sasuke, stop answering yourself."

Sasuke blushed slightly, unaware he had spoken his thought.

"What does it say?"

"Huh?"

Naruto looked at him enquiringly.

"What does it say to you?"

Sasuke shrugged. "It generally just patronizes me"

"That's all?"

"No."

Silence reigned, and Naruto realized his friend wasn't going to elaborate further.

Sasuke laid his head in his arms, ignoring Naruto poking him in the ribs to get him to sit up again.

"Don't do that, Sasuke, you'll just make it worse."

"I hope Tsunade's plan to 'help keep me awake' doesn't involve you poking me in the ribs for two days straight," Sasuke lamented, bringing his head out of his arms and swiping at Naruto. "That's enough to drive any sane person crazy."

Almost as if on call, Tsunade re-entered the room, with Shizune in tow this time.

"I have two options," she said, sitting at the table and slamming some papers down. "Either I come up with a device that shocks you at intervals, but at a safe level so it doesn't harm you, or we put a seal on the part of your brain that activates sleep."

"A seal?"

"Yes. It's looking the more approachable of the two options. I'll need to speak to Hyuuga Hiashi in the morning."

"I see."

"Until then- Naruto? Will you be alright keeping an eye on him for a few hours? Shizune can take over then, and I'll take over early morning."

Naruto nodded. Sasuke looked skyward in silent prayer.

"I know this will be hard on you, Sasuke," Tsunade said quietly. "But this isn't normal, and I need to make this better again. We can't have otherwise healthy ninja being held back by mental conditions."

Sasuke sighed heavily, declining to answer.

"I'm going to set you up a room to stay in. I won't tease you by putting a bed into it."

-.-.-

The next morning, Sasuke was sitting on the carpeted floor of Tsunade's guest room, staring at a lone crack that twisted up the wall in front of him. Anything to avoid Tsunade's scrutinizing gaze.

"Have you seen or heard anything tonight?"

"Just the voice."

"No hallucinations?"

"…No."

"I'm expecting Hiashi anytime around now."

"Great."

"It's your own fault for lacking the willpower to stay awake yourself."

"For _four_ days?" Sasuke snapped. "Most people wouldn't have such 'willpower', _Hokage-sama_."

"You're a spiteful little bitch, aren't you?" Tsunade said bluntly. "I should turn you out right now and refuse to help you."

They were interrupted by a knock at the door, admitting Shizune and Hiashi.

"Hiashi," Tsunade nodded, standing up. "I trust Shizune has filled you in on the needed details?"

"She has," Hiashi answered, looking down at Sasuke. "It will be difficult. You'll need to sedate him."

"Up you get," Tsunade gestured. Sasuke stood, clutching against the wall for support. "I can't sedate him. He needs to stay awake."

"Then it will be even more difficult."

Tsunade sighed. "I wish there were so other way to deal with this, but this is the safest. You will be able to reverse the seal in two days time, right?"

"Yes."

"Then so be it. Come, Sasuke."

Tsunade knelt on the floor, indicating for Sasuke to sit before her. Hiashi sat by her side, and Shizune left the room, closing the door gently behind her.

Sasuke reluctantly knelt down, removing his forehead protector and holding his bangs back with one hand.

Hiashi placed a hand on his forehead, nudging Sasuke's own hand away. Sasuke winced- his hand was colder than he had been expecting.

"I apologize for any pain or discomfort," he warned, and closed his eyes in concentration.

Sasuke gritted his teeth at the sensation that coursed through him- it wasn't _painful_ as such, it just felt… Invasive. Like something was crawling around inside his mind, occasionally gnawing at his senses.

And then _pain_. He hadn't been expecting it, and it hit him, hard. Hiashi was making the seal, barely flinching as Sasuke shuddered violently beneath his touch.

Sasuke didn't notice the door fly open, and Naruto come stampeding into the room, demanding to know if he was alright. Tsunade calmed him down, and berated him for listening outside the door. Yet Sasuke was oblivious to this- he just felt pain, and nothing else.

Hiashi pulled his hand away, opening his eyes and nodding in satisfaction at the seal he had made. Sasuke raised a hand to his forehead, still shaking, not even noticing tears of pain collected within his eyes. He blinked, sending them falling down his cheeks.

Naruto knelt in front of him, looking worried.

"What did you just do to him?" He asked of Hiashi.

Hiashi stood up, nodding at Tsunade. "I sealed the part of his brain that allows sleep. Every time it detects him falling asleep, it will knock him awake again."

"It's necessary, Naruto," Tsunade said grimly.

"I could have watched him to make sure he was staying awake!" Naruto protested.

"And how stringent would you be with him, Naruto? When he's begging you and pleading with you for 'just five minutes?' I doubt you're that heartless, and I wouldn't ask you to be in that position."

Naruto fell silent, eyes falling back on Sasuke. He was still shaking.

"Will he be alright?"

"He'll be fine," Hiashi reassured.

"Thank you, Hiashi," Tsunade said quietly, eyes on Sasuke.

"It's alright, Hokage-sama. I will see myself out. Let me know if anything… Unexpected happens."

"Will it?!" Naruto demanded.

"It's unlikely. But… Just in case."

With that, he left, Tsunade right behind him muttering about painkillers. She pulled the door closed, leaving Naruto with Sasuke.

"Well… I guess a dose of pain is enough to keep you awake for now, hmm?" He joked nervously, unsure of what to do or say. Sasuke was curled up, hiding his face in his knees.

Surprisingly, he pulled his head up and smiled very weakly at Naruto. Naruto winced at the prominent seal on his forehead, similar to the one on Neji's head. He grabbed Sasuke's forehead protector from the floor and offered it to his friend.

"It looks that bad?" Sasuke said weakly, taking it. He dried tears from his cheeks and tied the protector back on, wincing slightly.

"I just thought you might want it!" Naruto snapped.

Sasuke shrugged, looking up as the door opened. Tsunade re-entered with a glass of water and some pills.

"Non-drowsy painkillers," she explained, handing both to Sasuke. "One dose should be enough. I have important things to deal with right now, but I'll be coming in from time to time to check on you and make notes of what you're seeing and hearing, if anything. Shizune will see that you're comfortable. Stay in here. I want to keep you in one place as much as possible."

"…alright."

"Naruto, you don't have to stay."

"I _want_ to."

"Does Sasuke want you to?"

Naruto glanced at Sasuke, expecting him to say no.

Sasuke only shrugged- the closest to a 'yes' or an 'I don't care' he was going to give.

"If he starts bugging you, feel free to kick him out," Tsunade warned. "The 3rd and 4th days of sleep deprivation are supposed to provoke psychosis and hallucinations, so if you're going to have any more, today or tomorrow is the most likely."

"And if I don't?"

"We'll see how it goes," Tsunade supplied, picking up the empty glass and heading for the door.

"Easy for _you_ to say," Sasuke snapped at her retreating back.

Tsunade spun around. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that," she said evenly. "But _one_ more negative comment from you and I'm turning your ass out onto the street, along with that seal."

She slammed the door behind her, leaving Sasuke glaring at the space where she'd just been.

"I'd listen to her," Naruto said quietly. "She's the type of person to carry out her threats."

Sasuke sighed, putting his head into his knees. "Shut _up_, Naruto."

-.-.-

_Author's Note: Crazy Sasuke is remarkably fun to write XD  
_


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